Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Bisque - From a tip from the chef at The Kitchen restaurant in Sacramento I added some Arborio Rice to the usual suspects to give this a bit more texture. Since I called this a bisque and not a soup, the texture made straining this even more of a pain in the ass but it turned out to be very velvety. I thought it needed a lil' something-something so I added some homemade pesto that I had in the fridge to it. The arborio rice ended up giving it a consistency like a cream soup but with no added cream similar to the way it makes a risotto creamy.
Wine pairing: 2004 Rodney Strong Chardonnay
Pan-seared Black Cod with Spaghetti Squash, Spinach, Pureed Cauliflower and Gremolata Sauce:Black Cod seems to be used in substitution for the expensive and hard to come by Chilean Sea Bass (or more accurately Patagonian Toothfish). I got this from Pacific Ocean Marketplace frozen. I find (as with their sea bass) that it retains a lot of water so I spend a lot of time trying to get the excess water out so it can sear properly. Veggies were chosen because they were in the house and I am not sure where I got the idea for the Gremolata sauce. It is made with the typical garlic, parsely and lemon zest then added to a reduced lemon juice and chicken stock blend.
Wine pairing: Domaine Le Capitan Vouvray
Chicken Confit, Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, Steamed Broccoli and Port Demi-Glace Sauce:I had a half a chicken that I had deboned leftover and decided I would try using the rendered duck fat in my freezer to make a confit. Chicken cooked for about 1.5hr in the duck fat was then drained and pan-seared to crisp it up. Brussel sprouts sauteed with some pancetta and some steamed broccoli rounded this out. The sauce under the chicken is a port and demi-glace reduction.
Wine pairing: 2000 Prado Enea Gran Reserva Rioja
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